What lies behind the Curtain
by NasEjos
Summary: Ayase has a secret, but she won't tell Kyosuke what it is. What do the bruises on her body mean? Kyosuke is determined to find out. The story starts in the middle of episode 12 of the second season from the anime where Ayase has just started taking care of Kyosuke while he studies for his exams.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This fanfiction starts taking place right in the middle of episode 12 from the anime where Ayase takes care of Kyousuke while he is studying for his exams. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did / do writing and don't find too many mistakes, but if you do, please bear in mind that English is not my first language. _

"Tadaima" Kyousuke proclaimed as he entered his flat. Ayase has just yesterday started helping Kyousuke with the chores so that he can fully focus on studying.  
"Welcome home, Onii-san!" Ayase came running out of the kitchen in order to take Kyousuke's bag. "Aahh, hey Ayase" Kyousuke greeted her startled. He still had to get used to a cute girl welcoming him home.  
"What's wrong? Did I mess something up? Am I not supposed to take your bag?" Ayase asked confused.  
Kyousuke looked for words to explain his reaction "No, no, its just.. you know.. kinda weird to come home to such a sight. Also, I'm just not used to someone helping me with my stuff. As you know, Kirino would never do such a thing. Ever."  
"Huh, I guess that's true. Wait! What do you mean with 'such a sight'?" Ayase asked while ruffling through her hair. "Is something wrong with my hair? Or are you harassing me again?" She said while looking at him with suspicion in her eyes.  
With a declining motion of his hands, Kyousuke responded "I am not harassing you! Or at least it was not my intention. It just brightens your day when you come home and a nice person is waiting for you. Thank you Ayase." He smiled at her, making her blush.  
"It...it...it's not that I enjoy doing this! I'm doing this alone for Kirino, because she pleaded me to do this. Enough talk, I'll prepare dinner and you better start studying now." Ayase announced while making her way towards the kitchen. Kyousuke watched her and thought about going after her to talk some more, but then decided that it would be better if he just went studying. They could talk later anyways.  
"Okay, okay, I'll be in my bedroom then." Kyousuke said while walking to his room.

He sat down in front of his desk and opened the book he used to learn English. English was one of his worst classes, but he knew that he at least get a decent grade there as well in order to attend to any university he wanted. Even though his grades slumped a bit in the last months, he still wanted to finish the exams with the best possible results. Thanks to Kirino's persuasion, Ayase came over on a daily basis and took on most of the chores that exist in a single-person household like cleaning, doing the laundry (even though Ayase did not seem to like this task in particular) and cooking.

After what seemed hours, Ayase called "Kyousuke! Dinner is ready! I have to leave early tonight since I am supposed to also prepare dinner at home for my parents. Either eat it now or put in the microwave for 2:20. Rice is still in the cooker, take as much as you need. Bye bye."  
"See you Ayase. Thanks for the food."  
Kyousuke just finished the second task, so the timing was perfect and he could allow himself a small break.

After dinner, Kyousuke did not want to go back to English right away so he started up the laptop that Kirino gave him and went on the internet. Immediately, a message popped up. Kyousuke saw that it was from Kirino, asking him to call her as soon as possible. Wondering a bit what may be so important, he decided that he should probably call her right away, partly because he wanted to further delay his studying, partly in order to not make her mad without reason.

"Hello?"  
"Hey Kirino, its Kyousuke. What's up?"  
"Urgh, it's just you."  
"What, _just_ me? _You _wanted _me _ to call, so here I am. And now you complain. Well, just tell me, what did you want to say? What is so important?"  
"Don't be mad. I also told Kuroneko to call, but I guess you at least did what I told you to. So. Did Ayase tell you how often she was going to come over?"  
"She said that she just canceled all her appointments and has lots of free time, so she was planning on coming over every day. I did not quiet expect her to do that, but honestly, I'm glad."  
"Hm, okay, that is interesting. My manager just asked me if I could do some solo photo shoots or with different girls because Ayase said she had a bit of trouble and could not come for the next few weeks. And I mean, canceling _some_ shoots would be reasonable, but canceling _everything_ seems a bit rushed to me. What is also odd is that she apparently said that she had trouble... Normally she would just say that she has to help her friend out or take care of you or something..."  
"Okay, that does really not sound like Ayase too much. She is either lying , which she would _not_ do, or there is more going on with her at the moment than just helping me. I'll keep an eye out on her and see whether she is any different from normal. Actually, just today she said she had to go home earlier, but I didn't ask why because...hm I don't know. Well, I will ask her tomorrow if something is wrong. Maybe she will just tell me."  
"Hopefully it's nothing serious, but knowing Ayase, she probably has it all sorted out already."  
"Yea. Well, I gotta go back to studying so I can come back home soon."  
"Don't worry about it. It's really nice and quiet without you here, you know. You don't have to come back."  
"..Okay, well, bye bye."  
"Bye bye"  
…

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. As this is my first fanfiction ever, as well as ...my first time really writing anything creative / not related to school or university. I will probably upload the second chapter tomorrow, but we shall see. Thank you for reading._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This fanfiction takes place right in the middle of episode 12 from the anime where Ayase takes care of Kyousuke while he is studying for his exams. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did / do writing._

The next day, Kyousuke was home when Ayase came. The moment he saw her walking up the stairs, Kyousuke knew that something was wrong. Ayase opened the door to the apartment and when she walked in there was a bit of sweat on her forehead and she was paler than usual.  
"Hey Ayase." Kyousuke said.  
"Hey Onii-san" Ayase answered with a weak voice.  
"What's wrong Ayase? You look sick. You can go home if you want. There is not much to do and I already did a lot of the studying I planned for today."  
"No, I can't go ho... I can't go. I promised Kirino that I would help you and that is what I'll do now." She kept talking while walking into the kitchen and checking the fridge "Okay, let's see, what do you need? What do you want to eat today Onii-san?" Ayase asked, maybe to keep him from further investigating Kyousuke thought.  
"I think you should really take the day off. Just go lie down, I'll take care of the chores and you go rest a bit." Kyousuke sounded concerned now which Ayase must have sensed.  
"No! I will go get the groceries. I can not fail you or Kirino. I promised." Kyousuke heard the desperation in Ayase's voice and decided that he could not easily change her mind. Thus, he instead proposed "Okay, you go grocery shopping. But I will come with you."  
"Onii-san..."  
"No, you can't talk me out of this. You look sick and I need some fresh air anyways. Just make a list of what we need and we'll get going." Ayase wanted to protest more, but Kyousuke just walked away. Something was going on with Ayase and he would find out. He felt that she was either sick or completely exhausted. Or maybe both. Wondering what could happen to Ayase to leave her in such a state really worried Kyousuke.

After Ayase finished the shopping list, the two started their way to the convenience store which was a fair walk away. Kyousuke just hoped that Ayase would be able to handle the strain on her body.  
"Hey Onii-san." Ayase started talking while they were walking down the road, side by side.  
"What is it, Ayase?" Kyousuke asked.  
"Do you think this is weird?"  
"What is weird? What do you mean?" Kyousuke queried confused.  
"You know...Us two going shopping together.. I mean, a guy and a girl, in the afternoon walking side by side. What do the people think who see us?" after finishing her question, Ayase shyly looked up at Kyousuke. When he looked her in the face, both blushed and turned their heads away.  
"What do they think? I don't know, but I also don't care. Really, why would you mind them? We know what we are doing, buying groceries that is, and there is nothing wrong with that. What if you were Kirino? Would you also wonder what we were doing and what kind of relationship we were having in that case? You should stop worrying about it."  
Ayase quickly followed up "But..wouldn't you mind if they thought we were... you know... lov...together..?"  
Kyousuke looked at her surprised "Uhm, well... hm. I .. how can I say this" Kyousuke muttered "Well let's look at the facts. You are ... a cute girl ... so why would I mind that?"  
"I don't know! It should bother you since we are not to... together." Ayase now seemed a bit angry, but there was also some happiness in her smile.  
"Do you think that every guy and girl walking side by side are a couple?" Kyousuke asked her. Ayase kept staring at the ground.  
"Are we just a guy and a girl walking beside each other to a store?" Ayase murmured with what sounded like a disappointed voice and gathered pace. Kyousuke, taken aback stood still for a second and then caught up to her. The two spent the rest of the walk to the premise in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: With not that much happening last chapter, this one will have a little bit more in store, or so I might think at least._

Right when Kyousuke and Ayase were about to leave the store, it started to rain lightly. Even though he hated running, Kyousuke proposed "Let's hurry a bit. I don't wanna come home all soaked wet." Ayase looked at him, gave him a thumbs up and they started to jog a little towards Kyousuke's flat. After a few blocks, the rain started to intensify and Ayase suddenly dragged Kyousuke into the entrance of a building. Irritated Kyousuke asked "What are you doing Ayase? We have to hurry, it looks like it will only get worse now." Just now Kyousuke saw that Ayase was all out of breath and looked pale.  
"_Ayase! _ You look exhausted... "  
"Can... we... just ... wait ... here ... for .. a ... bit.. please? Seems that I am out of form a bit.." Ayase tried to smile while panting heavily.  
"You wait here, I'll go get an umbrella from the shop around the corner and then we can walk home without having to hurry." Kyousuke started running when Ayase caught his arm and followed him, slow, but determined. "Ayase, you should go back there and shelter from the rain. I'll be right back."  
"Don't leave me. Don't leave me alone, please, Onii-san." Ayase looked frantic.  
Kyousuke tried to reassure Ayase "I wouldn't have left you there. Why should I do that? Well, let's just go get an umbrella and head home. I think we could both use a shower after this rain." Ayase stared at him, eyes wide open with bewilderment.  
"Oh, come on Ayase, I meant we should shower both _separately_, of course. I don't want to scare you away. Just keep walking until we are home, you can even go first." Ayase seemed relieved and resumed following Kyousuke to the store but waited in front of it where she was save from the rain. Meanwhile, Kyousuke bought an umbrella. As he left the store, Kyousuke opened it and suddenly realized "Oh.. I bought just one umbrella. Do you mind sharing it with me or shall I go and buy a second one for you?"  
Ayase quietly muttered "It's ok. I don't mind sharing it with you. Of course, just to get home faster! Don't think anything weird now. It's just cheaper and faster.."  
Kyousuke sighed, but actually enjoyed the proximity. They made their way to Kyousuke's flat, slower now and still getting fairly wet but at least not getting wet to the skin. During their whole walk home, Ayase always avoided Kyousuke's eyes.

Back at the apartment, Ayase insisted on Kyousuke showering first while she fixes dinner. Even though Ayase really did look sick, Kyousuke thought it would be better if he just did not argue with her so that she can in the end go home faster. He went back to studying, math this time, but could not go a long time without interruption. He was still working on a difficult task as he heard Ayase's voice coming from the bathroom.  
"Onii-san... I'm so forgetful, I don't have anything to change into in here."  
Kyousuke sighed and called "I'll bring you a shirt and some pants from me, would that be all right? You can wear those until.." he could not finish his sentence because just as he turned to the pile of freshly washed clothes that Ayase had done while he was showering, he saw her walking towards his room, eyes on the ground. When he stopped talking, she looked up and saw him in the eyes. "_Aaaaaaaaaahh_!" Ayase shouted when she saw that Kyousuke saw her, wearing only a towel.  
"I'm sorry! I am so terribly sorry Ayase. I just wanted to bring you the clothes." he said while turning around.  
"And I thought you were busy with your studies so you would not turn around." Ayase almost screamed. When he heard her grab the clothes and walk out towards the bathroom, Kyousuke turned around once more and was stunned. Ayase had several bruises on her arms and what looked like some kind of hematoma on her back, but before he could say a word, Ayase had already entered the bathroom.

_A/N: I hope you all are as excited about the next chapter as I was writing it. We will see what will happen I guess :-D_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: The story continues :D_

"I guess there _is_ something going on with Ayase." Kyousuke thought. Why would such a perfect girl like her have bruises? And really, seeing her so weak today after jogging just a bit, really did not seem like Ayase. After theorizing a bit about what might be the cause of those bruises, Kyousuke decided to ask her about it. Perfectly timed, Ayase walked into the kitchen where Kyousuke was eating dinner and sat down opposite of him, grabbing a plate of food for herself. She did look much better now but was still a bit pale. Kyousuke decided, that now would be the time to ask.  
"Hey Ayase", he started the conversation.  
"Ghn, huh, what is it, Onii-san?" she said while finishing her food.  
Kyousuke started his advance to find out what was wrong with Ayase "Uhm, how do I start this.. I have been wondering today... You looked really sick when you got here and are still not completely back to normal, as far as I can see, and...well.. I saw bruises on your arms after you showered. You said that you canceled all of your appointments, but Kirino told me that you told the manager that you had ... _trouble_ ...so.. am I interpreting too much into this or are you really having trouble somewhere or with someone that I should know of? You know, you can tell me anything." Kyousuke's face showed his concern. Suddenly, Ayase had a haunted look on her face and turned away from Kyousuke, covering her shoulders with her hands.  
"Don't worry Kyousuke, there is nothing going on with me" Ayase looked back up at him and met his gaze with a light smile "Really, I just happened fall down in my room after I turned out the light. That's all. Nothing to worry about, I promise." Still smiling, or trying to, Ayase took her half-empty plate and threw the rest away.  
"Well, I guess I'm done here for today. I will come back tomorrow. Keep on studying and don't go to bed too late." Ayase said as she left the living room. Kyousuke stood up while Ayase headed for the door of the apartment but she was too fast and had already put on her shoes and was almost out of the door when he reached the door.  
"Ayase, really everything fine with you?" he had to raise his voice since she was already hurrying down the stairs.  
"Yes, yes, I am fine. Really. Good night, Onii-san" Ayase called out.  
"Good night, Ayase..." Kyousuke said even though she was already around the corner. He went back to finish his food and then study a bit more before he went to bed. There he spent quiet some time recalling everything that happened today and trying to make sense of it.  
"Ayase never lies. She absolutely _hates_ lying, maybe even more than she hates me. But her reaction today seemed weird for someone without problems as well as the 'falling in her room' excuse, they just don't fit. Well, maybe Kirino will notice something tomorrow. I don't want to be too annoying because her help really makes everything a lot easier here."  
He then fell asleep, dreaming of his lovely angel Ayase-tan preparing his favorite food.

Kyousuke suddenly woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He looked at the display on the outside of the phone and saw that it was Kirino who is calling. "What could she want so early in the morning?" he asked himself while picking up the phone.

...  
"Hey Kirino, what is wrong? You woke me up, there'd better be a good reason for you to call me now."  
"Hey Kyousuke. When did Ayase go home yesterday? How did she look? Was she all right?" Kirino asked in a hurry.  
"Calm down. She went home...around 7 o'clock I think. She looked sick, but seemed fine overall. Or wait. She _said_ she was fine, but actually did not look fine. She had bruises on her arms and was in a bad condition in general. Why are you asking all of this though? Can't you just ask her all of this herself?"  
"_She is not here! Ayase is not in school and she never misses a single day!_" Kirino almost shouted into her cell phone  
"Not there? Well, maybe she is sick. She looked pretty sick yesterday actually, I did not want to disturb you without a reason. Call her maybe and see what is going on. I'm sorry, I'm really really tired. Just let me sleep a bit more and be sure to message me when she is in school. Everything is going to be alright."  
"I really worry about her. But okay, you never care anyways so go back to sleep and keep sleeping. Forever."  
"I worry about her as well. I will ask her what is wrong when she gets here okay?"  
...

Later, Kyousuke got a text message from Kirino saying that Ayase finally arrived at school. Apparently she just ran a little late, or that is what she claimed. Still a bit worried, Kyousuke ate some leftovers from yesterday and went back to his room to study a bit more.

_A/N: Not really a cliffhanger here, I thought it still may be a good point to end this chapter. See you in the next one hopefully :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Not much to say, enjoy the chapter :-D_

When Kyousuke looked out of the window in his living room, he saw Ayase just starting up the stairs leading to the apartment, both hands full with groceries. When he opened the door for her, Ayase looked at him thankfully and was just about to enter the flat when she suddenly tumbled and dropped the bags. Kyousuke caught her with one arm to keep her from falling herself, pulling her up. Right when he let go of her arm, he saw an expression of pain on her face but she quickly turned away.  
"Ayase. Everything alright? Did you hurt yourself falling down or did the grocery bags hit you or something?" Kyousuke asked, worried about her.  
"Ah, uhm.. yea, I am alright Onii-san." Ayase said while stroking her arm right where Kyousuke caught her as if to get rid of some kind of pain.  
"It sure doesn't look like _everything is fine_, Ayase. Why don't you tell me what is wrong and maybe we can work something out to make it better.", Kyousuke suggested.  
"No, really. It's okay, it doesn't even hurt any mo... it doesn't hurt. Don't you see me smiling? Nothing is wrong." Ayase tried to fake a smile but only managed a weak supposed-to-be-smile.  
Kyousuke started getting angry "Ayase! I can _see_ that your arm hurts and that you are in a bad shape in general. You came to school late and don't want to talk about anything. And _yes_ I heard you almost say 'hurt _any more'_. Do not try to fool me. Either you tell me what is wrong now or I will not accept your help, which would infuriate Kirino if she found out. You promised her that you would do it. But what use is it when you are hurt in some kind of way and then work? Also, Kirino is worried about you as well. She even called me this morning to ask whether I know where you were." Kyousuke's eyes were set on Ayase but she tried to avoid his stare.  
"_Go_, Ayase. I don't need your help when you can't even help yourself. Go fix whatever problems you might have and come back once you are rested and well. I mean _really_ well. Either that or you tell me what is the reason for this and I'll help you work it out. Just don't let me watch you suffer and be hurt without being able to do anything about it." Kyousuke took her hand so that she looked up at him, squeezed it lightly and smiled at her encouraging to take the second offer.  
Ayase now looked him in his eyes, tears starting to form in hers.  
"Onii-san, please, don't send me back home! I don't wanna go there again. Just let me stay here. Can I... take a nap please? After that I will tell you what is wrong, but just let me sleep a bit and relax." Ayase pleaded. The sudden change of reaction surprised Kyousuke.  
"A nap? Uh, okay, sure. You can just use my bed, I'll study in the living room, no problem. But once you are done, we will sit down and talk okay? You promise?" Kyousuke asked, having a sincere look on his face.  
"Thanks, Onii-san." Ayase said, suddenly happiness in her eyes "Just don't come in okay? I will get up on my own."  
"I would never do that" Kyousuke proclaimed while rolling his eyes "and you know that. You might think of me as a pervert but I actually _do_ have good enough manners not to just walk in on a girl sleeping."  
Relieved, Ayase simply wished him a good night and went into his room. Kyousuke wandered around in his living room for a minute before realizing that he forgot to take is studying utensils out of his room and now with Ayase sleeping in there, there was no way of getting them without her killing him. Then he remembered that the shopping bags were still lying on the floor at the entrance of the flat so he went to pick them up and store them away. But why had Ayase bought so much? He would never be able to eat so much. Also there were not only groceries in there, but also what looked like medicine. Upon further inspection, Kyousuke found several painkillers as well as some pills that help you fall asleep. He just hoped that Ayase bought all of that for her family or someone else but not for her own needs.  
"Well, " he thought " I will find out when she wakes up I guess." Kyousuke went to fix dinner, even though it was going to be a small one with his limited cooking skills.

_A/N: Well here is another cliffhanger. We will see how the story goes on :-D_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: After ending the last chapter with such a cliffhanger, I decided that this chapter would have some "real talk". We will see how that goes._

Ayase woke up to the scent of fried egg and looked at her watch. She had been sleeping for about two hours and felt fresh. After putting her clothes back on, she decided to wait a bit longer before leaving the room, thinking of the conversation that would take place once she sat down at the dinner table. Ayase really had no idea what – believable – explanation she could give Kyousuke that would neither reveal too much of the truth nor make him interrogate her even more than he planned. But could she – and should she – hide what happened at home the last few weeks? Ayase had so far not told a single person what had really made her lay off her work and what had really persuaded her to help Kyousuke so much. She knew that she would have to talk to _someone_ in order to keep a hold of herself, but wondered who she could talk to. Kanako? No, not close enough. Other girls at the modeling agency? In the end they were all pretty dull, even Ayase had to admit that. Kirino? Ayase knew that Kirino was the only logical choice, but Kyousuke already had her cornered and maybe with Kyousuke not really knowing Ayase's family, he might be able to provide a point of view not altered by personal opinion of the people involved.

Ayase was lost in thought when she realized that something was off. It did not smell like fried eggs any more, now it was closer to burned eggs. Without thinking about it, Ayase hurried out of the room, catching Kyousuke staring helplessly at the pan. When he heard her approach him from behind he turned around with embarrassment showing on his face. Ayase ran up to the stove, pushed Kyousuke aside and started saving the eggs an giving him orders.

"Kyousuke! Why are you cooking? It is my job to do that. You should not bother with those things. I hoped you would use the time to study..." Ayase said while looking at him, showing her disappointment.  
"Well, I planned on studying, but actually remembered that all of my stuff is still in my room, so I could not study..." Kyousuke explained while trying to follow Ayase's orders "And then I decided that I might just go ahead and cook dinner for us, hoping that you would wake up soon. The only thing I feel, uh, felt actually, making is fried eggs. Also there was nothing else from the groceries we bought that I could use, so after reading a bit I went ahead and started cooking. Well, you see how that ended. But I think some of it is still edible, I'll just take the burnt parts myself."  
Ayase looked at him, now with suspicion in her eyes. "You looked into the grocery bags?"  
"Uh, yes, why?" Kyousuke responded, then remembered the medicine he found in there and suddenly was not sure if he should not have looked into the bags. "Was there something in there that I was not supposed to see?" he asked, keeping eye contact so he could see any signs of lies.  
"Uh, no. What makes you think that, Onii-san?" Ayase tried to look him straight into the eyes but could not hold his gaze and looked down.  
"Your reaction to me saying that I looked into the bags actually showed that there _is_ something."  
"...Well... yes, there is some medicine in there. But you were not supposed to see that." Ayase tried to explain. Kyousuke would not get her get away with such an easy answer.  
"Why was I not supposed to see it? I looked at all of the pills and there were painkillers as well as sleeping pills. And not just your normal headache pill, those are far stronger. Ayase, you promised me to tell me what is going on with you after you slept. I don't want to have to corner you to get a real answer from you. Just tell me why you need those kind of pills and why you have those bruises." Kyousuke tried to show how he truly worried about Ayase, but she seemed to shy away, now intimidated. He took her by the hand, guided her to the table and sat her down. Ayase seemed confused, but so far did not protest. When he gave her a plate with good fried egg and sat himself down opposite of her and started eating she did the same. He had decided that he would rather have her well nourished before having what stood out to be a tough talk. Throughout the whole meal, neither of the two said a word, but Ayase kept darting glances over to Kyousuke. When they were finished, Kyousuke put away the plates and once again sat down.

Taking her hand into his and looking into her eyes, he said "Now, Ayase. Talk to me. You can tell me everything, whatever is going on, tell me about it and we, together, will figure out a way to fix whatever is bothering you."  
Ayase looked him deep into his eyes, tears forming in hers, and started telling him everything.

_A/N: Well, turns out that I had too much fun writing about how the "real talk" starts so that it won't even be part of this chapter. But next chapter should be a bit more satisfying for those wondering what is really going on with Ayase. Sorry for the cliffhanger :D_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Okay, I'm really really really sorry it took so long. It just did not come out the way I wanted so I had to re- and re-rewrite it over and over again. This is the first iteration I am actually happy with. So, once again I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long. I hope you deem the chapter worth the wait._

"I... I have some trouble at home." Ayase looked down at her hands in Kyousukes' and continued "My father used to drink a lot of alcohol when he was a teen, but had been sober for decades now. Until lately, when, apparently at work, while he must have thought that he was completely cured from his addiction, he took a sip of sake. That seemed to trigger the whole addiction over again and since then, he has been drinking. A lot."  
Kyousuke wondered what she was getting at and wanted to ask a question but Ayase raised her hand so he stopped. She then continued.  
"Now, my mother knew immediately what was wrong with him, but I have never been told about his past before he met my mother, so I was just confused why he was acting like he was. Hollering and ordering everyone around, that is. When I wanted to ask him what was wrong, he looked at me and suddenly started yelling _'Who are you to question what I do and why I do it? Go back to your room now and stop thinking about it!'_. I was really taken aback because he never shouted at me. Ever. Well, I went to my room but the next day when my father was at work, I went to talk to my mother about his behavior. She told me about his past and promised that she would end his drinking like she had the last time. And that is, when it all got worse..." Ayase pulled one had back to wipe a tear away from her cheek and then started fumbling with the tablecloth. She started sobbing and Kyousuke stood up, walked over to her and laid his arm around her while crouching beside her.  
"It got worse...? Ayase, please, tell me about it and I will find a way to help you. I promise." Kyousuke said while stroking her shoulder.

Ayase continued, her eyes still wet.  
"I went home this day, and everything was a mess. The whole garden was destroyed. Flowers were torn out, pots broken and even the door to the house was wide open. Ayase heard her dad inside the house, yelling, but she didn't know who he was yelling at.  
"I thought it would be an intruder" Ayase explained, "what else would one think in this situation?" She laughed slightly hysterically. Kyosuke took her hand but remained silent. "Then...I heard someone yelling. It was my father, and I assumed that he'd yell at the intruder. So i went in...and...my father...there was no intruder, it was...my mother..."

"It was your _mother_?" Kyosuke asked confused. Ayase glared at him though her gaze wasn't as intimidating as usual, given the fact that tears rolled down her cheeks.  
"It wasn't my mother, you idiot" she snapped, sounding quite similar to Kirino at this moment.  
"Who was it then?" he yelped, but regretted it as he saw how Ayase flinched. Her anger was suddenly gone, and so was his. He waited patiently until she spoke again.

"It was my father...who had made this mess. And when I came in he was beating my mother and shouted at her...I tried to stop him, but he was stronger than me...and he..." her voice cracked.  
Kyousuke tried to make sense of what Ayase had just told him. Her father, an alcoholic? Beating his wife? Then turning on his own _daughter_? That seemed incredible.

He realized that she was done. At least for now.  
Just when he thought that, Ayase started talking again. Quietly, she voiced her concerns "My father... when I could finally go to my room, he said one more thing: 'Go, Ayase! You are the reason all of this is happening. If you had just not told your mother what I said, then everything would have been fine' …. I thought telling my mom was the right thing! I'm so sorry, Kyousuke, but I don't know how I can make things better again. Since that happened, everything is so different at home."  
Ayase looked at Kyousuke, hoping to find answers to her questions she never asked, but he knew were being thought about. He met her gaze, thinking about what to say now. There were so many things he wanted to ask, wanted to know, but there was no way he was going to keep digging, making her remember more uncomfortable memories, hurting her more. She had already been hurt enough. Too much! He knew he had to say something.  
"Ayase, you don't really believe what he said, don't you? I can tell you, you are _not _the reason for any of what happened. Please, don't let him make you feel guilty. You were concerned and did the thing you thought was right – tell your mother." Kyousuke said. He hoped that this was the topic that bothered Ayase the most. It did seem that way, seeing her eyes light up and suddenly there was a bit of hope in her. Then, after just a second of what he thought was improvement, her smile immediately dropped and was once again replaced by sadness.  
"But... but.. What if he is right? What if this _is_ all my fault? Maybe he was just upset over something that I did not know about or .. Kyousuke I don't know what to think! Maybe it would have been better, if I would have just kept silent..." Ayase's voice was full of doubt, her face showed regret.  
"Ayase.. how should I say this..." Kyousuke started talking "While I have never had anything like that happen to me, we all know what you have to do. You have to break the circle. And you can only do that by telling someone, doing something to fix it. Trust me, Ayase. I'll make some tea and then we are going to find a solution."

Kyousuke looked at Ayase, waiting for her to respond, but found her crying uncontrollably, rocking in her chair, her head on her arms, looking directly at the table.  
Kyousuke, still thinking about all that had just heard, started making some tea. After he switched on the water cooker, he went to sit down at the table with Ayase, but he had not heard her getting up. When he turned around, he found Ayase standing right in front of him, her head down but with her hand reached out to him. She started looking up at him, tears still running down her cheeks, and quietly whispered "Hold me, Onii-san."

_A/N: So, that was that. I hope you liked the chapter and are looking forward to the next one. It should not take me as long to write it, but you never know what kind of obstacles turn up :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I hope I did not make you wait too long, but writing all of this so that I am satisfied with it myself is a lot harder than I thought. Now I just hope that my "quality test" has not failed and you enjoy this chapter :-)_

"_Hold me, Onii-san."_  
Had he really just heard Ayase say that? Or was it his hope, his imagination that made him hear it? Kyousuke, slowly, took a small step towards her and started lifting his hand towards hers. Then, after a split second of indecisiveness, both Ayase and Kyousuke took the last remaining footstep that separated them and Ayase fell into his arms.

Ayase pressed her head on his left shoulder and embraced him, tightly. She had not stopped crying and Kyousuke could feel her shake. He was unsure what to do, in the end, he gave in to what his feelings told him and caressed her.  
"It's all-right Ayase. Really. It will all be fine. I promise" Kyousuke whispered in her ear, not knowing why he had, from one moment to the next, the feeling to keep everything quiet. He wondered what made him say these words, knowing perfectly that he could not guarantee any of what he had just pledged. But also knowing, that these words, together with the closeness he could provide, were not only necessary for Ayase, but were more than that. They were what he truly wanted for her, and his way of showing Ayase that she could rely on him. And what he truly wanted for himself.

Kyousuke started sensing a weird sensation in his body. He felt warm, comfortable and he could feel everything that was there, in that room, between him and Ayase. He could feel her taking a breath. He could feel her arms around his torso. He could feel the light pressure of her head against his shoulder. All of the things, Kyousuke was suddenly aware of, were the slightest of touches, things he thought he would normally never actually realize feeling.

Kyousuke soothingly stroked Ayase's back, noticing how, slowly but surely, her weeping seemed to weaken. Still not sure what exactly was going on, Kyousuke _did_ start thinking about what he was actually doing and was a bit surprised. He was actually holding his sister's best friend in his arms, comforting her, and started questioning it.  
Why was he doing this? Why was _she_ doing this? She had always expressed her hatred for him, whenever possible. Kyousuke had always teased her and she always reacted the same way - by punching and kicking him, by showing her disgust. The situation he was in, they were in, was so bizarre, Kyousuke could not believe what was actually happening.

After what seemed an eternity, Kyousuke felt Ayase's grip around him lighten and started doing the same. None of them actually pulled away, neither Ayase or Kyousuke were able to purposefully break and end what was happening, but they instead seemed to somehow _drift_ apart, slowly but surely, being pulled by an unknown force.

When Ayase was ready to look Kyousuke into the eyes, there was a smile on her face. A smile, the way Kyousuke had never seen it before. Her eyes were still red from the tears, her cheeks still a bit wet, but what counted was Ayase's true happiness. Only after another time of them staring at each other, did Ayase really realize what she had just done, blushed immediately and turned away. Kyousuke grabbed her hand, wanted to stop her from once again running away, but Ayase did not even try to run.  
She turned around slowly and told Kyousuke: "I'm sorry. I should not have done that. Really. Sorry"  
"There is nothing you have to be sorry for." he replied, not quite sure why she was apologizing.  
"I should not have told you all of that. You are busy studying and should only take care of that."  
"No, Ayase. I will study, yes, but there are things in life way more important than my grades in school. Like what is going on with you" Kyousuke tried to explain, but before he could add more, Ayase interrupted him.  
"Onii-san. I am here to help you get good grades so you can move back home, back to Kirino, and now I am distracting you. I am failing both you and Kirino with my own little insignificant problems." Ayase started talking louder, keeping Kyousuke from responding.  
"I will be going home now. You have enough food left until tomorrow and at the moment there is no need for me to be doing the laundry." While she said this, she shook off his hand and headed out of the living room.

Kyousuke followed Ayase closely and started arguing about what she had just said.  
"Ayase, you are still helping me. A lot. Just let me give something back and help you, for once."  
"But does that not oppose the whole reason for me being here? For me helping _you_?"  
"Ayase, nothing is ever only give or take. Everything is a combination of both. You _do_ help me a lot, but...yea, as I said, let me help _you_ a bit as well. Please. Just view it as you helping me even more, distracting me in a good way from all the work I do." Kyousuke pleaded while looking at Ayase, who had her back turned to him as she picked up her shoes.  
"If you say so... I think... Yes, I can accept that, Onii-san." Ayase finally announced. She went to the door and had a hand on the handle when Ayase slowly started turning around once more.  
"Why did you hug...? It was nice... what...?" Ayase stuttered, blushing a bit. She had not turned around completely, but enough so that she could observe Kyousuke's reaction.  
"I... I don't know why I..." Kyousuke tried forming a sentence, but could not get it quite right "It was nice. Yes." Kyousuke wanted to keep talking, to keep her from leaving already, but he just saw the slightest of smiles appear on Ayase's lips just before she turned around, opened the door and left.

_A/N: I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out, especially the beginning. I once more hope that you really enjoy reading my fanfiction. I usually don't ask this kind of stuff, but I noticed that I really really _really_ enjoy getting reviews, so if you like the story, please consider reviewing it. Every kind of criticism is welcome :-)  
Well, I hope I will have the next chapter done in a timely manner. _


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: This chapter has a bit less action in it, but I promise the next one will have much more. Anyways, enjoy._

After Ayase left the flat, Kyousuke stayed rooted in place for another minute, before he managed to sort out most of what had happened. He still was not sure what to do now, the next time he saw Ayase. And should he not have stopped her from leaving to soon? She said she did not want to go home, but in the end, left pretty early. Kyousuke did what he often did when he faced problems that were completely new to him - he texted Manami and asked whether they could meet up. Tough she did not know why exactly he wanted to meet her, especially not at her house and not at his flat, so help with his studies was pretty much ruled out, Manami still agreed on them going to a park nearby.

Kyousuke sat on a bank in the park when Manami arrived. She looked like always, wearing plain pants and a white jacket, her hair cut short. She looked around, trying to see where Kyousuke was so he stood up, waved and slowly made his way towards her.  
"Hey Manami. It's been a while"  
"Hello Kyou-chan. How are you? Is there something special on your mind?" Manami did not wait around and immediately got to the point. That's what Kyousuke looked to her for help. He knew that Manami did not beat around the bush and he could always rely on her honest opinion on topics, which helped him quite a lot in the past.  
"I'm fine, I guess. And yes, there is something on my mind. I need your advice." Kyousuke smiled at her. He quickly summarized what he found out about Ayase's problems, though leaving out some of the more intimate moments.  
Manami looked at him, her eyes wide open. "Are you implying that Ayase's father has beaten her? Is that what you are saying?"  
"Uh, you could say that, yes. I did not want to say it this exact way, but in the end it seems to be true. But please, don't tell anyone. I know I can trust you with this, that you are not going to run to Ayase or anyone else. So please. I probably should not have told anyone, but you've always helped me with your advice and you also know Ayase. I really want to help her, but I just don't know what I can do." Kyousuke said, starting with a hint of uneasiness in his voice, ending with a begging pitch.

Manami looked at the ground for some time, thinking.  
"Well, it seems like talking has already helped her a bit, from how you told me she reacted. But if you, as you said, don't want to involve the police, I can't think of anything how you could help her. Actually, just one thing comes to my mind. You can offer her that she can sleep at my place for a while. We get along really well and she could just relax. I could even take care of you so she doesn't have to worry about anything really. Actually, I suggest that. You need to get her out of her home, even if it's only for a week, get her back on track and let her mother take care of her father."  
Kyousuke looked at Manami, letting this idea go through his head. If he were to ask Ayase what she thought of that, he would have to admit that he had talked to someone about all of it, but that was not possible. Ayase would probably lose all trust she had in him.

Kyousuke turned around so that he directly faced Manami, which in turn made her look up from the ground and said "Thank you, Manami. I will tell her of your suggestion. We will see, but thanks to your encouragement, I feel confident that I will handle it. You are such a good friend - always ready to help with your advice. I owe you for that. Sorry that I called you out here, but now that I know what to do, I'll better get back to studying."  
Manami smiled, until she heard the word 'friend'. When Kyousuke was done, she looked him directly in the eyes, produced a new smile and answered "Kyou-chan, you know that I'll always be here...to help you and stuff. I'm glad that we found a solution."  
"Yea, that's really good. Well, bye bye, see you around Manami" Kyousuke said, already turning around, heading towards his flat.  
"Bye...bye." Manami muttered the words, looking after him as he left the park.

On his way back home, Kyousuke thought of calling Ayase right away, but in the end decided against it. He had to tell her in person what he thought was best, he had to gauge her reactions. It would not be easy, but he was determined to help Ayase, no matter at what cost.

The next day, Ayase called Kyousuke in the morning. She told him that she had caught a cold and could not come today, but there ought to be enough food left for the day, so he should be able to manage.  
Worried, Kyousuke asked "Are you all-right? Besides the cold I mean."  
"Yes, it's just a cold. Don't worry and study. I'll be fine tomorrow." Ayase said, sounding perfectly normal.  
"Hm, okay. See you tomorrow then." Kyousuke ended the phone call, but he did not feel good about that. Knowing what he had heard yesterday, he had an idea.  
Kyousuke put on his coat, took the keys to the apartment and headed to the next pharmacy. He bought cough drops and some light medicine and then made his way towards Ayase's house. When he arrived there, he saw that there was no car parked in the front. The house looked empty. Kyousuke went up to the door and, after a moment of consideration, rang the bell. After a few seconds, he heard steps on the stairs.  
Ayase opened the door just a bit and looked to see who was there. When she saw Kyousuke, she wanted to slam the door shut, but he quickly blocked it with his foot.  
"What do you want here, Onii-san? I told you I am sick. Just go home" Ayase said while hiding behind the door that she still held.  
Kyousuke tried to sound as happy as possible "I just thought I'd stop by and bring you cough drops. With your parents working, maybe I could get you some tea while I have free time anyways."  
Ayase opened the door. She stood in front of him, wearing not her school uniform that he was used to but perfectly fitting pants and a light green blouse. But her eyes were red, a bit of makeup was partially washed off. She looked at him, her face showing signs of defeat. Then she took Kyousuke's hand, pulled him inside the house and embraced him. 

_A/N: I wonder if any of you can guess what's going to happen next. Well, you'll see :p_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Hey guys and girls. University kept me even busier than I anticipated so that's why it took such a really long time. I'll try to spend more time on writing, but I can't really say that I'll release the next chapter in like two weeks or something, but I'll always try to do it as fast as possible with the quality I want. One last thing, this chapter turned out quite different from what I thought it would be, but the next one should have the promised development :-D_

Kyousuke, hesitantly at first, returned hug. Ayase kept it up for several seconds before letting go of Kyousuke and closing the door behind him. Without saying a word, Ayase went up the stairs towards her room and Kyousuke followed after taking off his shoes. He looked into the kitchen and the living room, trying to spot signs of disturbance, but everything looked just like he remembered it. When they both entered Ayase's room, the silence grew even weirder than it was before. Her room was a complete mess. There were clothes lying on the bed and on the floor, her desk was filled with used glasses and tissues and the door to her closet stood open. But Ayase, instead of trying to cover it up, just pushed a few pants to the side and sat on her bed, with enough space left so that Kyousuke could sit down. He looked at her, not sure what to do, when she coughed violently.  
Kyousuke looked at Ayase, concern showing in his eyes "Uhm, I'll go downstairs and get you some tea and the cough drops that I brought you. Just wait here, I'll be right back."  
Just as he was about to leave the room, the door already opened again, he heard Ayase quietly say "Hurry, Onii-san" so Kyousuke went downstairs, two steps at a time, ran into the kitchen to get some water cooking and got his bag from the pharmacy. He could barely wait the time it took for the water to heat up, but there was nothing else to do but to prepare the tea, so that was what he did. When everything was ready, he went upstairs and saw that the door was still open, but Ayase was not sitting on the bed anymore. He just saw her close her closet as he climbed the stairs, careful not to spill anything. With one foot, he knocked on the doorframe to make her aware of his presence. Ayase turned around and came to him, taking the tray from his hands on which the tea was standing and set in on her, now cleaner, desk. Her bed was still messy, but at least the floor was empty enough so that you could now walk through the room without the fear of stumbling over various objects. As she sat the tray on the desk, Kyousuke walked up to her and told her to sit down, that he would take care of the tea now. He prepared two cups, took a few of the medicines he bought from the bag, sat down besides Ayase on her bed and handed her one cup.  
Not looking up, she said "Thank you" and started drinking, slowly because of the heat.  
"Here, the medicine I told you about. I wasn't quite sure what kind of cold or sickness you had so I just bought several kinds of pills and drops..." Kyousuke said, but when he looked at Ayase he saw that her cold was actually the least of her worries. Even though she wiped away the smeary makeup that she had had on her when she opened the door, Kyousuke could still clearly see that Ayase was in a bad shape. After a moment of consideration, he decided that it would be the best for her, if he immediately told her of Manami's, or actually his plan.

Kyousuke looked around the room, fumbled with his hands, stirred the tea and then his eyes went directly to Ayase's. She sensed it and turned to look at him, weariness showing in her eyes.  
"Ayase. I have an idea. Listen to me and then tell me what you think." Kyousuke said with a strong voice which startled Ayase a bit. She was just starting to get used to Kyousuke being so determined. "What is it?" Ayase asked quietly.  
Without thinking of how to phrase it, Kyousuke just blurted out "I want you to come with me and move in with me!"  
"_What?_ Whatasd" Ayase said, scooting away from him on the bed.  
"Sorry, I said that badly. Listen, I'll explain what I mean. The thing is here at your home, you can not relax. Your father is being abusive to you and your mother, you are sick and no one can take care of you. You really need to get away, even if it's only for one to two days and get back on track. You need a place where you can feel safe and just relax." Kyousuke said, trying to explain his idea to Ayase.  
Ayase looked like she was considering this proposal, but quickly shook her head. "I can't leave my mom alone here with my father. What if he beats her again? Who is here to protect her? No, Kyousuke, I can't, sorry." Ayase looked down at her feet and took another sip from her mug.  
"Ayase, you are one of the nicest girls I know. You are always there to help others, to keep people from harm. But sometimes, you need to think about yourself. Your mother handled your father before, she is probably the only person who can persuade him to stop drinking again, the only person to really know how to help him. You are awesome, but you are a factor that your mother does not know how it will influence your father. It will be hard, but I trust that she will be able to..heal him. And you should as well. Also, you know your father. Even though he is sick at the moment, he is still the person you at heart, so you know that he would never hurt your mother in a harmful way. Just think of yourself. For once, Ayase. For once, let me help you. Let yourself be helped." Kyousuke looked at her, holding out his hand as a gesture.  
Ayase looked at his hand, considered his words and just wanted to respond when Kyousuke said one more sentence. "Your mother will not get hurt Ayase, I promise."

Even though she knew that that was something that Kyousuke could _not_ promise since he had barely any influence over what her father was doing, it still persuaded her. Ayase came closer to Kyousuke and took his hand. At this moment, all she wanted to know was that Kyousuke was ready to help and cared for her.

After she took his hand, she slowly pulled him towards her. He came closer until he was sitting right in front of her, wondering what she was doing. Ayase kept pulling him, even stronger now until he had to climb over her legs to get any closer. Just as he looked down to make sure that he did not hurt her, she moved forward and kissed him as soon as he looked up again. He had his mouth closed and her kiss was a rather innocent touch of her lips against his', but he was still taken by surprise. Just as Kyousuke started to really grasp what Ayase was doing, she pulled away and gently but determined pushed him off of her. "Sorry Kyousuke. I don't know what I just did. Just.. go downstairs and get yourself some food, I'll pack my things and we can go." 

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Hey :-D  
looks like I didn't update for quite a while and I'm terribly sorry for that. As I always say, I was pretty busy (moving and getting stuff done for university), but ..well I don't know :-D  
I still hope that you enjoy it, so, let's get started :)  
Oh, and before I forget it, a special thanks to _animejunkiee_ for a nice review which encouraged me to write again. Thank you!  
_

Kyousuke unlocked the door to his apartment and held it open so Ayase could enter first. She hesitated, looked at Kyousuke who, in turn, smiled at her encouragingly and then she stepped inside, smiling as well. Ayase stood in the living room, wondering where she should put her luggage when Kyousuke came up behind her.  
"So, you should probably put your stuff in the room over there. It's not big, but at least something where you can sleep. Before I came to get you, I already got an airbed, but I haven't filled it up yet. But that should be done quickly." he said, pointing towards a small room that adjoined the living room, opposite of the room where Kyousuke himself was sleeping. Ayase went over to the room, opened the door and looked inside. It was just big enough for the mattress and a small table right beside the door, but to Ayase's fortune, there was already a wardrobe installed in the back of the room.

The rest of the day, Ayase spent putting her clothes away and doing chores while Kyousuke studied. He felt like Ayase was avoiding him, when he went to the fridge to get a yoghurt, and sat down, she immediately remembered something she had to do in the bathroom. After she prepared dinner, she told him to eat while she showered. Then she was busy in her room and only said good-night by quickly peeking into Kyousuke's room so fast, he could just barely turn around and see her walking away. Kyousuke wondered what was going on, but decided to leave her alone for the day, if that was what she wanted.

'_What is going on? Where am I? Why is it so dark?'  
Ayase is walking through an alley when she hears footsteps behind her. She keeps on walking, but glances backwards every few steps only to see...nothing. A light rain starts but continuously increases in strength. Ayase is looking at the ground in order to avoid puddles of water when the sound of tires screeching seeks her attention. She looks ahead and instead of the alley she was walking in, Ayase now sees that she is standing in the middle of a big street, probably in Tokyo, still at night. The car she heard is nowhere to be found, but the sound of footsteps resumed, now running towards her from behind. Ayase turns around, but before she can see what is happening, she gets knocked off her feet.  
Ayase's head hurts as she tries to get up. She reaches back, touches her head and feels something warm on her fingertips 'What..? Blood?'  
"Wake up Ayase"  
'Somebody is calling my name. . .' Ayase opens her eyes. She is in her room, her mother sitting beside her on her bed. But something is wrong...  
"Ah, you are awake. That's good. I'll go ahead and make some breakfast, ok honey?" Ayase sees her mother standing up and walking towards the door. Just as she reaches it, the door is slammed open and her mother stumbles back.  
Somebody enters the room. A huge person. The face is covered with a cloth, only a small room for the eyes has been cut out. It must be a man. But how did he get into the house?  
As Ayase wonders why her father had not stopped this man, she saw the club in his hand. Maybe he had tried but had been beaten. Fear clouds Ayase's mind. Her mother tries to get up and scramble away from the intruder, but he does not mind her. He starts laughing and turns to Ayase.  
"Now I can finish what I wasn't able to!" he yells as he storms forward. He lifts the hand which is holding the club and starts swinging it towards Ayase. She can sense the air being pushed by the club, sees it coming closer and closer, filling her vision as it is about to make contact with her head. Ayase can just form one last thought and screams "Kyou..._

...suke!"  
Panting, Ayase woke up and looked around.  
A small room, no light was turned on. She was lying on an air mattress. She could see the door at her feet and a bit of light shone in through the tiny window. She took a flashlight that was beside the bed and turned it on. When she realized that she was in Kyousuke's flat and safe, she started relaxing a bit. Still holding the flashlight, she got up, opened the door and went into the living room. It was also dark and Ayase had no idea what time it was. She figured it ought to be in the middle of the night because there was also no light in Kyousuke's room. While walking towards where the fridge was, light pointed directly at it, Ayase remembered too late that she had left the backpack with her school utilities right beside the table and stumbled. The torch fell down a few feet ahead of her as she tried catching herself with a chair. But she missed that one as well, only further increasing her momentum as she crashed into the ground. The torch blinked once and went out.  
"Fuck!" she cursed quietly, not wanting to wake Kyousuke up. Ayase got up and tried to feel her way to the fridge when she heard a groan coming from Kyousuke. Not moving, she listened and hoped that he was still asleep. After a few seconds of waiting, she decided that he would not wake up now if he had not woken up before.  
The fridge was full with groceries and Ayase looked around until she found her favourite drink, took a can and gulped the content in one go. After throwing away the can, she slowly made her way back toward her own room when she heard the sound of someone moving in a bed. Ayase walked over to the door to Kyousuke's room, one palm lightly touching it. No sound. Then, just as she let her head drop and wanted to walk away, she heard him move again and thought that he had said something. She carefully opened the door, making sure that it was making no noises and stepped inside.

There he was, lying on his bed, covered with a blanket from thighs to torso, though leaving his left side uncovered. His eyes were closed, his mouth half open and his body spread out across the whole bed, like as if he had had a very engaging dream. Ayase kneeled down beside him and started pulling the blanket over him, but right when she was done and started standing up, Kyousuke muttered something. She leaned back down, her head over his, trying to identify the words he was saying.  
"...se... ...yase... ...ayase... co... come here...please..." Kyosuke said, barely audible.  
"I am here" she whispered.  
Apparently that was enough to wake Kyousuke up from his sleep, as his eyes immediately flew open. Even though it was dark in his room, he could still make out that there was Ayase right in front of his face. He looked up at her, meeting her eyes as she looked down at him, their heads only inches apart.

_A/N: I wanted to keep this chapter from getting too long, but I guess its longer than most. What do you actually prefer? More smaller ones (like 700-900 words) or stuff like the last few (like 900-1300 words) or even longer ones? This one I could have extended by quite a bit, but decided to cut if off here since I personally don't really like chapters that are too long. But anyways, tell me what you think about chapter sizes :-D_


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